Powering Electronic Instruments on a Rotating Shaft

Deadline: 2018-12-06
Award: $250,000
Open to: Team leader must be US citizen or entity*

The Bureau of Reclamation and its collaborators are seeking devices to provide direct current power for loads of up to 20 watts to electronic instruments on rotating shafts for hydropower generating units.

Presently, no practical methods exist for continuously powering these instruments on a rotating shaft. Solutions can be novel approaches or can build upon existing methods or technologies.

This is a two-phase Reduction-to-Practice Challenge that requires (Phase 1) written documentation, proof-of-concept data and, (Phase 2, if requested by the Seeker) sample/prototype delivery for experimental validation.

Proposed solutions must be applicable to rotating shafts that are 18- to 144-inch diameter, whether during rotation (72 to 550 rpm), standstill, before generator rotation begins or after it ends.

We seek new devices or significant improvements to existing methods and technologies, as long as the improvements offer substantial enhancement.